Musical instrument



Feb. 2 1926. 1,571,315

A. BOOTHE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Feb. 2, 1924 Patented Feb. 2, 1926.

UNITED STATES ALBERT BOOTHE, 0F GOLFAX, IOW'A.

MUSICAL INSTRUMEQTT.

Application filed February 2, 1924. Serial No. 690,237.

To all whom 2'2; may} concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT BOOTHE, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Colfax, in the county of Jasper and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Musical instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to musical instruments, and particularly to a device associated with a musical instrument for producing harmonics; the said invention being known as a harmonic damper.

It is an object of this invention to produce an attachment in stringed instruments for changing the vibratory movement of strings after they have been struck by a hammer, the said invention being associated with a pedal or pedals, through which one or a number of strings may be affected by the operation.

It is a further object of this invention to produce a harmonic damper, the string engaging element of which is normally out of contact with the string and engages the string during the initial vibration thereof and in which novel means are provided for holding the string engaging member out of operative position while the string is vibrat ing under the influence of the initial action of the string engaging member.

It is a further object of this invention to produce a hammer associated with means for engaging the string engaging member and deriving momentum from the movement of the hammer, for causing it to actuate and hold the string engaging member out of operative position.

It is a further object of this invention to produce means for controlling the action of the string engaging member through the en ployment of detent, operative from a pedal, and the invention consists in the details of construction as well as the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this application wherein like characters denote correspond ing parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 illustrates a sectional view of the case of an instrument showing a device embodying the invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 illustrates a View in elevation of the operating parts in a dillerent position of adjustment; and

Figure 3 illustrates an enlarged detail showing the string engaging element released.

li hile the drawing shows the mechanism for a single string, it is to be understood that the mechanism may be duplicated to operate in conjunction with any number of strings, as one skilled in the art will appreciate.

The case 5 or" the device may be of any appropriate type, provided with an action frame and keys such as (S that may be oscillatably mounted to actuate the hammer 7. The staff 8 carries the hammer and the staff is connected to a counterweight 9 that is pivoted on a bar 10 attached to the ends of the usual action frame, as by plates 10. The bar may be of such length as to form a fulcrum or pivot for a plurality of hammers and also for a string engaging element or pendant ll. The element 11 will be hereafter referred to as a pendant and it has an angularly disposed lower end 12 that will strike the string when the string is vibrated, but the engagement is but momentary, and thereafter it is held out of the path of movement of the string while vibrating. The weight of the pendant below the fulcrum is greater so that as the string is struck when the hammer moves inwardly and the pendant is released, the pendant also moves inwardly into engagement with the string in its first vibration, a condition which results in changing the vibratory action of the string to produce the harmonic.

The sound board 1 1, which may be of any appropriate type, is provided with a bridge 15 against which a string is forced when the hammer strikes it and whereon it is held while the note is being sounded, it being seen that the string will vibrate only between the bridge and the post 16 to which the lower end of the string is attached.

In operation, the strings are looser than the strings of an ordinary piano and this permits their movement into engagement with the bridge. After the hammer has released the string, the said string engages the damper 17 supported by means as 17 secured to the action frame which damper serves to arrest it and stop its vibration.

The counterweight of the hammer has a pendant engaging arm 18 which is hinged and this arm is angular at its upper end when it engages the pendant above its tulcrum. It is located on the upper surface of the counterweight in its normal position but under the momentum imparted to it by the oscillation of the hammer when it strikes the string, it is thrown rearwardly on its hinge into engagement with the pendant at its upper end, a condition which serves to retain the pendant from oscillating against the string again or interfering with the vibration of the string.

A detent 20' is oscillatably mounted on the counterweight and it has a camming surface that engages the pendant to hold it inoperative. The detent is moved under the infiuence of the link or rod 21 that may be actuated by a pedal 22 for changing its position, either to hold the pendant inoperative or to release it in order that it may swing freely.

From an inspection of the drawing and from the foregoing description, it will be apparent that upon striking one of the keys 6, the hammer will be operated to force the string inwardly as shown in Fig. 2 against the bridge and then the string will vibrate only between the bridge and the post 16.

1V hen the device is to operate to produce a harmonic, the pedal 22 would be operated to lift the bar 21 and free the detents from engagement with the pendants, thus allowing all of the pendants to oscillate and move into engagement with the string when a key is struck. Upon release of pressure on the pedal 22, the detents will return to their normal position in engagement with the pendants and they will be held away from the string so long as the pedal 22 remains normal as it is shown in Fig. 1.

The arrangement of parts is such that the vibration imparted to the string is above the bridge 15 and that the rearwardly extending end 12 of the pendant is bent to engage the strings at a point midway of the distance between the bridge 15 and the nut 0r peg 16. It will also be noted that the pendants do not engage with the strings unless the pedal 22, which may be a supplemental one, is depressed.

I claim:

1. In a musical instrument having strings, the combination with a hammer having a counterbalancing element which is pivotally attached to a support, key actuating means for oscillating the hammer, a pendant depending from the counter-balancing member, and means for controlling movement of said pendant so that it will engage with the string when struck by the hammer.

2. In a musical instrument, a hammer PlV- otally mounted to strike a string and open tive to hold the string under pressure, a pendant, means for oscillatably mounting the pendant for movement into and out of engagement with the string, a detent for normally holding the pendant inoperative, mechanical means for moving the pendant holding means, a damper for engaging the strings when released by the hammer, and means carried by the hammer adapted to engage the pendant above its pivot, substantially as described.

3. In a musical instrument having strings, a pedal controlled means for engaging a string for a musical instrument at its middle portion to cause the same to produce a harmonic tone comprising a counterbalanced key actuated hammer, a pendant mounted on the counterbalance which carries the hammer, means on the counterbalance for the hammer which is adapted to engage with a pendant, and pedal actuating mechanism also connected with the counterbalance. and provided with a detent to place said pendant in position to be actuated by the movement of the counterbalance to which the hammer is attached.

4:. In a device of the character described, a hammer, a counterbalance member to which the hammer is attached, an arm hinged to said member, means for oscillating the counterbalance and the hammer, a pendant attached to the counterbalance, a detent pivotally connected to the counterbalance, and pedal actuated means for operating the detent.

In a stringed musical instrument foot pedal operating means to produce a harmonic tone of a string or strings when caused to vibrate, comprising a key operated hammer, a string engaging pendant mounted for oscillation upon a counterweight to which the hammer is attached, means on the counterweight for engagement with the pendant above its point of oscillation, and means for rel asing the pendant so as to engage a string substantially simultaneously with the blow struck by the hammer to eit- 1"ect vibration of the string.

ALBERT BOOTHE. 

